Process of separating, washing, and concentrating materials.



A. W. H. LBNDBRS.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING, WASHING, AND GONGENTRATING MATERIALS. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 16, 1907.

948,5 1 2. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W. H. LENDERS. PROCESS OF SEPARATING, WASHING, AND GONCBNTRATING MATERIALS. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 16, 1907.

948,5 1 2. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES P NT OFFICE.

ADOLPH W. H. LENDERS, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING, WASHING, AND CONCEN'IBATING MATERIALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, ADOLIH W. H. LEN- nrns, a. citizen of the United States, residing at \l'aukegan, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Separating, \Vashing, and Concentrating Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to separating, washing and concentrating processes and in particular to the separation of the starchy material from the bran in the manufacture of starch from corn, the washing of the bran and the concentration of the resulting starch liquor.

The invention has for its object to simplify and improve the methods of separation and concentration now employed in the manufacture of starch, or similar methods employed in other arts, whereby certain expensive operations and apparatus are eliminated, the amount of water used in the'separating and washing is reduced and regulated. the separation more thoroughly efi'ectvd and the several steps of the process made continuous.

The invention has for other objects such new and improved inethodsand processes in the separation of materials, and in particular the separation of starch from other in-' gredients of the corn, as will be described in the following specification and set forth with particularity in the claims.

The process will be described as employed in the manufacture of starcn from corn, where, as will appear, it is made use of with particular advantage. It will be obvious, however, that my improvements might be utilized in other arts where similar eonditions prevail.

In making starch from corn according to the method generally used at the present lino-,lhe corn, after first being, steeped, is disintegrated in iron mills and then'conduct/ ed to separator tanks,'where the germ is iloated off. The remaining parts of the ker- Nels of corn, consisting of the hull, starch, gluten and certain cellular or fibrous material are next ground in French bur mills and are then passed through silk shaking sieves of No. S) mesh, the arger particles tailing off and hem carried to they feed house. The starch liquor going through these sieves is next conducted to a similar set of shaking sieves, ordinarily No. 17 or No.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied November 16, 1907.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 402,471.

20, in order to remove the finely divided fibrous matter which was able to pass through the coarser mesh of the No. 9 sieves. The process of separating up to this sta e of the proceeding has required a very fiirge amount'of water, an amount of'water, in fact, which is too great for the starch table step which would otherwise be, the next step in the process. The liquor is, therefore, condupted from the sieves to settling tanks, known in the art as cone settlers, because of their conical form, the starch concentrating in the bottom of these tanks, the dilute water at the top of the tanks being drawn off so as to reduce the liquor to the proper density. It is then stirred and run over the settling tables, where thestarch' settles and the gluten tails oil. This process has several disadvantageous features. The silk shaking sieves are very expensive to install and expensive also to maintain, because of the high speed at which they are run, which often reaches 480 revolutions a minute. As is well known, the buildin themselves in which these shakers are installed depreciate very rapidly on account of the constant vibration of the shakers at a high speed. It is one of the objects of my improved process to eliminate the first set of shakers.

My process also eliminates the necessity for using the cone settlers by employing only so much water in the separating step as shall be necessary to produce starch liquor of the required density. The use of the first set of sieves is attended with another disadvantage in that a considerable amount of starch always tails oil with the bran. This is due in part to the fact that there are particles of starch too large to go through the sieve and in part to the fact that the bran in tailing ofi' envelops or entrains a portion of the starch. The work of separation is considered excellent if the starch found in the bran tailing ofi from the No. 9 sieves does not exceed 2% of the dry weight of the bran. The use of the cone settlers also involves a loss of starch, as the dilute water drawn 01f from the settlers always contains some particles of starch. By eliminating the first set of shakers and the cone settlers and substituting another method of separation, I am able to save a lar e proportion of the starch which heretofore as gone to waste.

In carrying out my process, I employ a receptacle, or series of connecting receptacles, into which the corn coming from the bur mill is introduced together with-water or starch liquor. The liquid mass thus confined is caused to flow with a velocity which is sufficient to float 011' the particles of starch but which is not sufficient to overcome the gravity of the bran, which consequently sinks to the bottom of the receptacle or receptacles. Where a number of receptacles are used in series, the bran may be taken from the bottom of one receptacle and conducted into the next receptacle and so on through the series until it is washed. The washing is facilitate by constant agitation of the liquid within the receptacles. The starch liquor flowing from one receptacle to the next becomes gradually more and more concentrated and, by controlling the supply of the washing liquid, I am able to get an out ut of starch liquor at the proper density or passing over the starch tables.

Apparatus suitable for carrying out my process is shown in the accompanying drawin s, wherein igure 1 is a side elevation of an installa tion. Fig. 2 is a diagramillustrating one arrangement of cells in the battery of separators. Fig. 3 is a dia ram illustrating another arrangement of tie same. F ig. 4 is a detail illustrating a modification in which a conveyer is used in place of a pump and its connections. Fig. 5 is a detail of a modified form of separator in elevation. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig- 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

A represents 13. bur mill discharging by a pipe 8 into a mixing tank B in which is an agitator 9 on a shaft 10. The mass from the bur mill may be mixed with water or light starch liquor which may be conducted to the mixing tank through the ipe 11. i (J, C, C, C, and C are a series 0? separating tanks which referably terminate in the funnelsE, E, ii, E and E"which are connected with the pumps F, F, F, F and F,

which serve to force the settlings of the several se arators into the next succeeding ones of t e battery. The bran settling in the separators may be conducted directly from one so arator to the next or it may be put throug1 disintegrators between successive was ing steps in order to loosen any particles of starch which may adhere to the particles of bran. I have shown, for example, pipes 12, 13, 14 and 15 leading from the umps to a distributing trough G divided into compartments by the gates 16 and from which lead the pipes, 17, 18, 19 and 20 to successive separators; and from which also lead pi cs 21, 22, 23 and 24 to the disintegrators -I, H, the latter discharging into the separators through pipes 25, 26, 27

(perfectly and 28. These pipes are controlled by valves 29, so that. the bran may be sent through the disintegrators or not, as desired. The bran leaves the last separator and passes through pipe 30 to the screen or equivalent device 31, where the water is taken out. From here it may be conveyed to the feed house by conveyer 32.

By introducing water or li ht starch liquor into separator (1* through pipe 34, a flow of the liquid in the separators is obtained which is opposed to the force of gravity and which has snliicient velocity to float off the starch without overcoming the gravity of the bran, which is heavier. The cells C, C etc. may be connected in any desired manner, so as to permit a constant flow of the liquor from one to another. I have shown the cells connected by pipes 35, 30, 37 and 38. These pipes are provided with connections 39 by means of which starch liquor derived from other steps in the manufacture may be introduced into the sepui ators. By regulating the amount of water which ions through pipe 34 or the amount or density of the starch liquor introduced into the system by means of this pipe, the liquor which becomes concentrated as it flows from C tO'C may be made to issue from the system at just the proper density for the settling tables. This liquor ions from the separator C through the pipe 40.

The best results are obtained by continuously agitating the liquid in the receptacles so as to wash out the starch from the bran. This agitation may be accomplished in any desired manner. Preferably I provide the separator tanks with stationary arms 41 between which revolve the agitators 42 on shaft 13, the shafts in the several sepav' rators being provided with bevel gears 44: driven by pinions 45 on the shaft 413. The agitators may be driven either intermittently first in one direction and then in another or else continuously in the same direction. If the former method is pursued, the shaft 46 will be provided with any well known form of reversing apparatus.

For convenience, the connections between the cells of the batterynre such that a single cell may be cut out for purposes of re Jail and the like. Pipes 34, 35, 36, 37 an 38 are. therefore, rovided each with a valve 47. these pipes being connected by a series of )l was 48 having valves 49. The funnels E. it etc. are likewise rovided with valves 50. In order that the rst of the separators may be by-passed in case of necessity, the pipe 51, which conducts the material from lhe mixing tank, may lead to a distributing t-roug'h 52 which discharges through pipes 60 or 61 either into separator C or separator C. according to whether valves 5:: and 54 are opened or closed.

The water carrying the starch particles as it passes from cell to cell becomes more and more concentrated. To overcome the tendency of the starch liquor when thus concentrated to carry with it particles of bran from the last of the cells, I prefer to construct my apparatus so as to adually diminish the velocity of flow of t c starch liquor as it proceeds toward the outlet. This may be done either b making the cells of gradually increasing diameter, which is the arrangement I have illustrated in the diagram of Fig. 2;or arranging the cells in groups of increasin number, which arrangement is shown in Fig. 3. In either case, the volume of the flowing liquid is gradually increased with the consequently proportional decrease in velocity.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification in which a bucket elevator conveyer J is substituted for the pump and its connections for-conducting the bran from a cell ofthe battery to the distributing tron h.

In Figs. 5, (3 and 7 have shown apparatus suitable for carrying out my process in which the cells are orizontal instead 0 being vcrticaL, In these figures K represents a trough in which are the stationary arms 55 and the rotating agitators 56 on the shaft 57. The bran is dischar ed from the trough through a pipe 58 an is pumped into the next trough by a. pump 59; the

starch flowing through suitable pipes from trough to trou h in a manner similar to that shown in t e preferred form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1. i

In carrying out my process it will be observed that the heavier particles of material coming from the bur mi 1, namely, the bran, lu-e made tc-Zpass through a receptacle or series of receptacles, preferably the latter, always against a gentle current which separates the starchy matter from the bran and an Jally concentrates the former, the mix- "2 being subjected to a continuous agitabnn creating cross currents, the starch issuing from the battery at one end concentrated,

to a proper degree for getting the best results on the starch tables, the bran issuing from the other end of the-battery," thoroughly washed. In accomplishing this- -I make use of the difi'erence in s cific gravity between the starch and the ran in their wetted condition, the latter sinking to the bottom of the receptacles becauseof its greater Wei ht, the starch being gradually concentrate in the continuous current which passes through the battery.

The ground corn, consistin of relatively light, free particles of starc 'and heavier particles of bran, the latter in most cases having starch adhering to them, is intro duced into the first of a series of connected bodies of water below the surface and immediately above zones in which the water is given a churning agitation. The particles of bran sink to the bottom of the tanks into the quiet water below the agitators. The agitation. serves to remove part-of the adhering starch, but, under ordinary circumstances, the bran in the bottom of the first tank will contain considerable starch. This bran is then successively passed in the same way through the succeeding bodies of water, being thus effectually washed of the starch. In the meanwhile a continuous current is generated through the tanks in a direction opposite to that taken by the bran in its successive washings, which flow is suflicient to overcome the gravity of the starch, which is,-

of course, heavier than water, and which gradually concentrates the starch in the upper part of the first tank, floating it off through the outlet pipes of this tank. The agitation of the portion of the medium containing the suspended particles of bran and starch is probably necessary when theprocess of separation is applied to the separation of ground corn, in order that the separation should be complete. In any event, it facilitates such complete separation. The ground corn is referably'introduced into each body of me ium below the surface and the liquid supplied to each body to "cause the flow against gravity and the overflow of one body to the next is introduced above the place wherethe heavier particles-settle.

It will be seen that when this process is employed as above described in the manufacture of starch it accomplished in one step and in one set of apparatus the se aration of the starch from the bran and tie concentration of the starch, which operations have heretofore required two distinctv sets of apparatus. By theelimination of the first set of shakers I dispense with a kind of apparatus which is very costly to install, equally costly to maintain and which by its operation causes an appreciable deterioration in the building where it is located. I also get a more thorough washing of the bran, which results ina. larger output of starch. The process also invo ves a great saving of water, which is a considerable item of expense in .a large plant. By eliminating. the cone settlers which, in the old process, are necessitated onlyby the fact that the li uor coming .from the shakers is too dilute, t ere is also '8. saving in starch. Furthermore, the settlin step necessarily interrupts a continuous hen ling of the material treated. By my process the starch may be produced from the grain by aseries of continuous operations.

t has been, I believe, proposed to manufacture starch by a series of continuous operations but, so far as I am aware, no method has been devised for so doing which has proved a practical success.

Another feature ofthe process is that it enables the production of starch liquor ready for the starch tables of a uniform and regulatable density.

It is obrious that the process might also be employed for other purposes in the art-of starch making for example, it might be used for washing tie germ.

I claim:

1. The rocess of se arating the starch element 0 corn from he hull, which consists in.reducing the corn to a finely divided state, introducing the same into the first of a series of receptacles containing water, causing a flow through said receptacles in opposition to the force of gravity and of a velocity sufficient to float off the starch, but not suflicient to overcome the gravity of the bran, and causing the bran to be passed in succession through the several receptacles in reverse order.

2. The rocess of separating the starch element 0 corn from the hull, which consists in reducing the corn to a finely divided state, introducing it continuously into the first ofa series of receptacles containing water, causin a flow through said receptacles in opposition to the force of avity and of a velocity sufficient to float off the starch, but not sufiicient to overcome the gravity of the bran, withdrawing the bran from the several receptacles, passing the same through disintegrators, and then through the succeeding receptacles.

3. The rocess of separating the starch element of corn from the hull, which consists in grinding the corn, continuously introducing the ground corn into the first of a series of connected bodies of liquid. re-

moving the settlings from the first body and introducing them into the next body and so on throughout the series, continually introducing .liquid into the last of the series of bodies and from the last into the others so as to cause a flow through the series against the force of gravity and of sufiicient velocity to carry with it the starch particles, floating off the concentrated starch from the first body, and continuously giving the liquid containing the particles of starch and hull in suspension a churning agitation.

4. The rocess of separating the starch element 0 corn from the hull, which consists in grinding the corn, causin the bran and adhering starch to be passed through successive bodies of ii uid .causing a flow through said bodies of iquld in the opposite direction which is of suflioient velocity to overcome the gravity of the starch particles without preventing the bran from settling, and iving a churning agitation to the parts of t e liquid containing the bran,

particles in suspension.

5. The rocess of se arating the starch element 0 corn from the hull, which consists in grinding the corn, causin the bran and adhering starch to be passed y gravity through successive bodies of li uid, causing a flow through said bodies of 'iqllld in the opposite direction which is of sufficient velocity to overcome the gravity of the starch particles without preventing the bran from settling giving a churning agitation to the parts at the liquid containing the bran particles in suspension, and diminishin the rate of flow of the liquid as it bGCOIIIBSTIBitV- ier with starch.

ADOLPH 'W. H. LENDERS.

\Vitnesses PnnoIvAi. H. TRUMA."

H. L. Peon.

y gravity Correction in Letters Patent No. 948,512!

I l a t It is herehy certified that in Letters Patent No. 948,512, granted February 8, 1:,

upon the application of Adolph W. H. Lenders, of Waukegan, improvement in Processes of Separating,

an error appears iri the printed specificetion re line 100, the word accomplished Washing,

Illinois, for at and Concentrating Materials,

quiring correction as follows: Page 3,

hould read accomplishes, and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of March, A.

[SEAL c. c. BILLINGS, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

